Burn (L.A. Untamed #2) by Ruth Clampett Read Free Book Online

fingers on the tabletop. “Hmmm.”
    “Although there was one thing . . .” I say.
    “Yes?”
    “When he came to my place to see about parking his tiny house there, he said something about being inappropriate with me . . . or maybe it was not being inappropriate with me. I was so flustered that I may have it all mixed up.”
    “Well, either way, that’s promising . . . just the idea that he’s thinking along those lines,” Elle says with a big smile.
    The hall door opens and Paul strolls back into the kitchen to pull a beer out of the fridge.
    “Wait, did you say he has a tiny house?” Elle asks. “Why is he parking it at your place?”
    “Who’s parking what at your place?” Paul asks as he pops the cap off the bottle.
    “The lieutenant from her station may be parking his tiny house on her property,” Elle explains.
    Paul scowls.
    “Don’t worry. It’s just temporary. The land he was on was sold and they’re rushing him to move. I’m just helping him out, and I like the idea of having someone around.”
    Paul sits up taller. “Well, I want to meet him.”
    “You mean like check him out?”
    He nods.
    I roll my eyes. “He’s the lieutenant at my station, not a drug dealer, dude.”
    Elle leans over and strokes Paul’s cheek. “That’s so sweet that you’re looking out for your little sister, baby.”
    “Will you two stop it before I vomit?” I push back my chair. “I’m heading out, but before I leave you’ve got to tell me. Do you think something’s wrong with me . . . you know, because I’m suddenly thinking about this guy all the time?”
    “Is she talking about the lieutenant guy?” Paul asks Elle. I love that he’s asking her like I’m not here.
    “Yes, his name is Joe and he’s hot,” she replies with a wink before she turns back to me. “I don’t think anything’s wrong with you being worked up and liking this guy, Trish. It may be just what you need to get over what happened with Mike.”
    “But isn’t it wrong for me to be attracted to another man while I’m grieving the end of my marriage?” I ask.
    Paul shrugs like it’s the most natural thing in the world. “It means you’re alive.”
    My eyebrows knit together. “Alive? Like what? I was dead before?”
    “Maybe,” he says with an earnest look like I should figure out what the hell that means.
    Elle glances at Paul, and then at me, and the fact that she doesn’t disagree makes me think she thought I was dead too.
    I feel a deep anger stir up deep in my gut. It would’ve been handy if they’d pointed this out before my whole life blew apart. Was I that detached to not realize my life should have been more?
    And how exactly do I resurrect myself? I need a manual to teach me how to live again . . . or perhaps I need a strapping firefighter who’s willing to give me some hands-on lessons.

    Late that night I get another call from Mike. As I let it ring to voicemail something comes over me. Maybe it’s exhaustion, or just my curiosity getting the best of me, but I pick up the call. I don’t say anything, just sit silently and wait for the cheater to talk.
    “Trish?” he says. “Are you there?”
    “I picked up the call, didn’t I?”
    “Finally,” he sighs. “How are you doing?”
    “Just peachy. Thanks for asking.” To say my tone is sarcastic would be an understatement. My bad mood is in full swing.
    There’s a long pause. “Please don’t be this way. I’m hurting Trish, it’s bad. Don’t you miss me at all?”
    I bite my tongue. I want to go off on him, but judging from his bleak tone, I don’t have it in me to be that mean. Something else occurs to me.
    “Hey, when we were still together did you happen to notice that I was dead inside?”
    “What are you talking about?” he asks, sounding frustrated.
    “You know, dead—lifeless, without life.”
    “I know what dead means, Trish. I’m just not sure how it pertains to you.”
    “I just have all these crazy feelings now and I